This weekend, we were in New Glasgow, visiting Heather’s family. On Saturday afternoon, we joined Sandy and John on a visit to the deCoste Performing Arts Centre on the Pictou waterfront. This Summer is the Grand Reopening.
A new cultural hub combines the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL) and the deCoste Performing Arts Centre. We enjoyed the new library facilities, the indigenous paintings, and the sculpture on the waterfront by Alan Syliboy.
The collaboration across the Arts spectrum, combined with a beautiful library space, and theatre offer a new model for the ‘Creative Rural Economy’ (see also A Community Brains Trust and Landscape and Food: hidden gems of the Creative Rural Economy) .
Driving up from the Annapolis Valley, Pictou demonstrates what is possible for other small towns in Nova Scotia.
At the Library I was able to sign out David Suzuki’s ‘The Sacred Balance’. Heather picked up Paul Theroux’ ‘Burma Sahib’.
Returning to New Glasgow, the day was completed with homemade shepherds pie, beets and chard from Sandy’s garden, PBS’ Maine Saturday night fare ‘As Time Goes By’ and ‘Doc Martin’.
Sunday.
Time for the beautiful three hour drive back through the Rawdon Hills. At home, we were immersed again in the challenges of real estate sales. But we took time out for a stroll around the French Basin Trail (view my post Walking Paths). It was deserted, on a holiday weekend.
Acknowledgements
Sandy suggested the visit to the Pictou waterfront.
References
David Suzuki, 2022, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering our Place in Nature, Greystone Books.
Paul Theroux, 2024, Burma Sahib, Marina Books
Postscript
Pictou Library offers special programs. They also offer Virtual Care and have a Virtual Care Navigator. The Library is a ‘Community Information Utility’, combined with the deCoste Centre. Together they continue to support the Creative Rural Economy of the region.
Ernest Blair Experiment 